While I’m not nearly as cute as Sheena Matheiken, mastermind of the Uniform Project, I can certainly get behind her message.  Her plan: wear the same dress every day for a year.  Well, not exactly the same dress.  She has seven identical dresses, one for each day of the week.  But the point is that fashion doesn’t always have to mean over-consumption.  Sheena makes each day’s outfit unique and cute by adding jackets, layers, jewelry and more; all from second hand stores, family or friends.  The product is a great example of creativity and sustainability to combat a world of disposable fashion.

Sheena is just one example of what the industry is calling “slow fashion,” an idea taken from the slow foods concept.  Fast fashion is mass produced pieces in places like Forever 21, Nordstrom’s, Macy’s and more.  Consumers want a cheaper version of what they see on the runway.  Slow fashion takes a look at this mass produced fashion industry (the parallels to food are infinite) and tries to slow this whole trend cycle.  Sheena shows us that enhanced small changes and creativity to an outfit can produce an infinite number of great outfits and looks.

Fashion is slowly picking up on this movement.  Companies like Slowear and Whistles are starting to embrace the idea of unique pieces, but the real pressure should come from us.  Do you really need a new sweater?  Are you buying clothes that rip or get ruined within a few years?  Try investing in well made clothes that are versatile.  Trust me, no one will notice if you wear the same pair of jeans two days in a row, or a cute shirt twice in a week.  We’re all much too busy to notice things like that.

People like Sheena give us extreme examples of slow fashion, but we can make it real in our own lives.  Instructables is a great source of inspiration for making unused clothes new again!